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Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Man Charged with Murder In Connection to Woman Remains Found in Woods

MAYS LANDING – A Pleasantville man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found by a hunter in a wooded area of Egg Harbor Township seven (7) months ago, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

On Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014, at approximately 1:30 p.m., a hunter found human remains in the woods behind the Shore Mall site near Broadway Avenue in Egg Harbor Township. The hunter, who is a municipal police officer in Atlantic County, immediately notified authorities and reported the discovery.

The remains—recovered in an advanced stage of decomposition—were collected by the New Jersey State Medical Examiner’s Office.

The victim, Tara Rogers Alicea, 30, of Monroeville, NJ, was identified within days of her body’s recovery, from photographs of tattoos that were released to the public. Detectives subsequently confirmed the identification based upon fingerprint analysis.

The State Medical Examiner’s Office, in consultation with a State Medical Anthropologist, determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation by strangulation, and ruled her death a homicide.

A joint investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Egg Harbor Township Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with the assistance of the Pleasantville Police Department, culminated in the arrest this morning of Steven Stallworth, 27, of the 600 block of Noah’s Landing, Pleasantville.

Detectives arrested Stallworth in Mays Landing at approximately 9:40 a.m.

Stallworth has been charged with Murder—a crime of the 1st degree, and Desecration of Human Remains—a crime of the 2nd degree. Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Bernard E. DeLury set bail at $2,000,000 cash/full.

A conviction for murder carries a potential penalty of incarceration in New Jersey State prison for 30 years to life. The potential penalty for a 2nd degree conviction is 5 to 10 years of imprisonment.

Anyone with information pertaining to this case is asked to call the Atlantic County Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666.

This charge is merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, a charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.